Iconic Players: Warren Beatty

Keep your cool

A good Player is one who never cracks under pressure; he can make the recovery and come across with the same dignity and class he started with before he made his move. Likewise, whether the pickup goes great or not, a Player never turns into an emotional waterfall; girls don’t like a sob story, and men just look stupid gushing about things that make her uncomfortable. Women have an uncanny ability to lose interest in guys who can be broken down easily, so keep the stiff upper lip. Keep your cool when the going gets tough (but remember to be candid when it’s called for, as will be discussed later in the article).

Warren Beatty was excellent at keeping his composure when he was rejected or when he ended a relationship; he never let his emotions get the best of him. For instance, his old flame Carly Simon seemed so disenchanted with Warren Beatty and his flick-of-the-switch “love ‘em and leave ‘em approach” that her hit single “You’re So Vain” was rumored to be about her disdain for Warren Beatty moving onto his next girlfriend, Natalie Wood. Warren’s response? “Thanks for the song,” and he then proceeded to charm the pants off Natalie Wood. No one really knows if the song was an allusion to the bed-hopping Beatty but, rest assured, Warren Beatty didn’t even flinch when it ended, a textbook example of moving on from an ex and also a great Player quality.

Players balance their time

Remember the bank note quote? If this were said today by any mainstream figure, it would be sneered and jeered by everyone on the spectrum. Still, even though these words came from the horse’s mouth, it was simply Warren Beattty being Warren Beattty, playing up his status as a “womanizer” when, in reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Here is a man who prided his relationships on being in control. That’s not say he was controlling by any means, but rather he was the one who dictated his own destiny when it came to women. Warren Beatty was not a pushover; he wooed the woman with his good looks, natural charm and self-imposed rule of not getting too tied down by any one person (that, of course, ended with his eventually marriage to Annette Benning). He also found time to pursue other hobbies outside of being a Player; Warren Beattty was one of the hardest-working guys in the film industry, devoting much of his time to his acting and producing career, traveling and taking time off at will. He also worked tirelessly as a Democratic Party activist, including flirting with the idea of running as a Democrat for the 2000 election (which he ended up not pursuing). Regardless of what took up his time, Warren Beatty kept an interest in relationships, but never at the cost of his hobbies. Likewise, good Players never put all their eggs in one basket; they are able to manage their time, resources and efforts in a healthy balance of work, home and lifestyle.